Protector



May 8, 1951 A. P. HURT 2,552,177

PROTECTOR Filed March 14, 1949 INVENTO Ar fhur P Hur 1 ATTORNEY PatentedMay 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROTECTOR Application March 14,1949, Serial No. 81,283

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in protectors of the kind adaptedto be worn encircling the elbows or knees to prevent injury theretowhile engaging in sports.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a morecomfortable and improved flexible protector, the fabric portion of whichis formed from a single piece of elastic material.

The garments of this invention possess the advantages of having aseamless back and a minimum of other seams. They are garments easilyadaptable to wide Variation in circumferential contour. They areeconomical to manufacture because of their unique production from flatmaterial. These advantages will be explained in detail hereinafter.

The garments hitherto known which most nearly approach the garments ofthis invention have been of two types: one a very expensive garmenthaving an integrally formed pocket of the type illustrated in BritishPatent #245,897 to Haywood Ltd. et a1., dated January 21, 1926, and theother of the type illustrated in U. S. Patent #2,188,718 to Jung inwhich a narrow selvaged material is joined at the back and fitted withan exterior patch pocket in front for padding. Such shaping as is doneon the circumferential edges of such garments is done on the fabricmachine. The garments of this invention may be formed from fabric blankshaving selvage edges also, but the most economical and the preferredmethod of forming the edges of the fabric blank is by cutting. Anadditional economy may be realized by cutting fabric blanks frommaterial having slight imperfections in such a way that the portioncomprising the blank is of perfect material.

The pocket for padding on the garments of this invention presents thesmooth lines of an integrally formed pocket and, in addition, theconstruction of the pocket eliminates the most uncomfortable andundesirable rear seam of previous garments.

In the drawings, Figure l is the fabric blank of a typical protector.Figure 2 is a perspective view of a typical finished protector. Figure 3is a cross sectional view along lines 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is across sectional view of Figure 2 along the lines indicated by 4-4 ofFigure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the protector of Figure 2prior to insertion of the pad.

My preferred garment consists of a substantially tubular body, l2,formed from fiat preferably universally elastic material, II, in suchmanner that the end portions, I3 and I4, overlap and are secured to thetube at 15 and 16' preferably by fiat lock seams. A pocket, ll, having afront wall, l8, and a rear wall, [9, is thus formed to receive the pad,26. I prefer that the top edge, 24-, and the bottom edge, 2|, of thefront wall be in register substantially with the respective top andbottom edges of the rear wall as is indicated in Figure 4, but this isnot essential. I also prefer to finish one circumferential edge beforeinserting the pad as is indicated at 23 of Figure 5, but this isentirely optional. Any of the usual ways of finishing an elastic edge asto leave it yieldable to a degree may be utilized, but I prefer tooveredge the edge, 2|, at the same laying in a length of rubber, 22, aprocess which may be done by the proper machine as is fully understoodin the art. By this process, the bottom of pocket, ll, if the edges aresubstantially in register, is closed when walls l8 and I9 are securedtogether by the overedging, 23. The pad, 20, may then be inserted andthe edge, 24, finished in any usual manner to leave it yieldable to adegree, but preferably, as before, by overedging, 26, and laying in alength of rubber, 25. If desired, one edge of the pocket, ll, may beseparately overedged or finished and left open or disengagingly securedto provide for pad removal. If the top and bottom edges of the pocketfront wall are desirably not in register with the respective top andbottom edges of the pocket rear wall, these front wall edges may besecured to the tubular body by a flat lock seam or any other usuallyemployed seam for this purpose. While the preferred blank shown inFigure 1 is in the shape of a trapezoid, any of the edges may be alteredwithin the scope of this invention. For instance, if a protector isdesired with a narrowed back portion, the central portions of edges 21and 2 may be made to approach each other. Or if a pad with difierentlyshaped side edges is utilized, the end portions, [3 and M, may bealtered accordingly.

As padding in the garments of this invention, I prefer sponge rubberwith rounded or beveled front edges, but any type of resilient padding,whether of a fibrous 0r non-fibrous nature, is suitable and may beutilized.

I claim:

1. In a protector garment, a strip of elastic fabric, end portions ofsaid strip in overlapping relationship, means for securing theunderlying end of said strip to the surface of said strip at a pointintermediate the ends thereof, an e1astic substantially-tubularretaining band formed thereby, means for securing the overlying end ofsaid strip to said band, a pocket defined by said overlapping endportions extending from one circumferential edge to the other of saidband and a resilient pad contained in said pocket.

2. A protector comprising a resilient pad, a pocket containing said padand a substantially tubular retaining band, said pocket and said bandbeing formed from a single strip of flat elastic fabric, the rear wallof said pocket being common with the front wall of said band, the frontwall of said pocket overlapping said common wall, said pocket extendingfrom one end to the other of said tubular band.

3. In the protector garment of claim 1, the elastic fabric beinguniversally elastic, the circumferential edges of said garment beingyieldingly overedged thereby securing the top and bottom edges of theoverlapping end portions in respective register.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,188,718 Jung Jan. 30, 19402,332,141 Greene Oct. 19, 1943

